For us, we want constructive criticism – Obi
Awka – The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, has restated the call on the media to redirect national attention and its resources toward development.
Maku made the call in Awka on Thursday when the National Good Governance Team paid a courtesy visit to the Anambra Governor, Mr Peter Obi, in continuation of the tour of projects in the state.
He said that it was important for the media to showcase government’s modest efforts in making life better for the people.
“The tour is about development, it is not partisan, the focus of our visit, therefore, is to see some of the developmental efforts of governments at the various levels.
“The purpose of this tour is to return national attention to development regardless of the political party involved.
The idea of the good governance tour is to showcase the beautiful things that government is doing in the interest of the people,’’ he said.
He said that the media must be encouraged to return to focus more attention and resources to developmental issues.
Maku said that the media should enlighten the people to take ownership of the various projects scattered around the country.
He lauded the State Government on its efforts to ensure security and peace in the state, noting that the peaceful environment was a panacea for development.
Maku said that the development of the south east was dependent on the sustenance of peace and security in the state.
In his remark, Obi said that the State Government was open to constructive criticism in its bid to transform the state.
“For us in this government, we want to hear from people, we want constructive criticism, we don’t know everything and we want to learn,’’ he said.
Obi said that he inherited a system that had no structures and had worked to build a system that would temporarily address the decay.
He said that the State Government had to design a development plan that would guide its activities for growth both in the short and medium term.
Obi said that the entire budgets of the state had been based on these plans and guides that had been designed to tackle some of the goals enshrined in the Millennium Development Goals.
The governor said that it was the same vision and plan that guided its rural development programmes and noted that it was focusing more in opening up the rural areas.
He said that the State Government had been able to complete several kilometres of roads across the state, since it came into office.
“Our business is not to build a flashy capital, our business is to build infrastructure in the rural areas in the state.
“My goal is to build a road network that connects all the rural areas in Anambra that has been our focus,’’ he said.
The governor said that government’s intervention in the educational sector was revolutionary.
He said that the State Government’s initiative to return all missionary schools to their original owners was yielding results in senior school certificate examinations.
He said that the State Government was in partnership with the church to return the missionary schools to its glorious days.
In the area of creating conducive business environment, he said the State Government had done everything possible to attract more industrialists to the state.
He said that government was able to tackle the menace of insecurity and at the same time convince investors to the state.
“When I came in initially, it was a war zone, no investor goes to a war zone, no single investor goes to Iraq,’’ he said.
The National Good Governance Team arrived in Awka on Wednesday in continuation of the tour of government projects in the state. (NAN)
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